Monstera leaves develop black or brown patches when leaf tissue degenerates. We can figure out what’s wrong with your Monstera based on the color, texture, and placement of the spots.
Overwatering
To start, overwatering is the primary cause of the most prevalent kind of black spot on Monstera leaves. Dark brown or black patches of varied widths at the leaf’s margin or center are signs of overwatering damage. The spots frequently have a yellow ring around the edges and are velvety to the touch. Additionally, overwatered leaves curl.
Additionally, it’s critical that you examine the stem and roots for dark mushy areas as soon as possible if your Monstera exhibits signs of overwatering. Monstera houseplants are most frequently killed by root and stem rot.
Dehydration
The tips and margins of your Monstera’s leaves may develop spots if there is not enough moisture. Leaves that have been overwatered appear limp or curled. Dehydration damage, as opposed to overwatering, results in lighter-brown, crispier-looking leaves from the outside in. This is the simplest technique to distinguish between the causes.
Dehydration harm can be caused by underwatering, low humidity, or a combination of the two. Increase the frequency or volume of irrigation. If you live in a dry area or have the heat on in the winter, you can also use a humidifier to raise the humidity in your home. See our guide to humidity.
Sunburn on Monstera leaves
If burned, monstera leaves have the potential to turn black. On the upper surfaces of leaves closest to the light, sunburned areas that are dry and black or brown form. The obvious sign of sunburn is a silvery gray or bleached color to the foliage.
Direct sunlight from a window or positioning your plant too close to a grow lamp can also cause sunburn. Monsteras naturally grow in the shadow, so unless they are carefully acclimated, the heat from direct sunlight is too much for them. In our article, you can read more about the ideal lighting for Monstera.
Increase the distance between your plants and potentially harmful light sources, only give your Monstera indirect sunlight, and never let your Monstera outside to sunbathe. Check out our guide on the best grow lights for Monstera if your plant requires more light.
Frost Damage
Monstera should never be kept outside throughout the winter in cold locations because they are tropical plants. Houseplant Monsteras are therefore more susceptible to sustain cold damage during shipping or transportation. Get your Monstera back into the warmth as quickly as you can if it accidently comes into contact with frigid conditions within your home.
Frost damage is disastrous because any area of the plant that freezes through will perish as its cells rupture. The leaves and stems of frozen plants will turn black or brown, first appear scorched, and possibly even become moist. It may take several days for the effects of cold injury to fully manifest.
Mechanical Damage
When the physical structure of a monstera leaf is harmed, it can occasionally turn black. Examine your leaves for any rips or tears that can kill the tissue to look for this problem. Mechanical damage will only cause black spots in the torn sections, not throughout the plant as a whole.
Splits, as opposed to rips or tears, occur when a Monstera leaf unfolds. Learn more about the splits in Monstera leaves.
Fungus or Pests on Monstera leaves
Leaf spots caused by bacteria or fungi are small, uniformly sized, brown, damp circles with yellow borders. In my experience, fungal growth is frequently misdiagnosed as the cause of Monstera spots when it is actually overwatering or another pest.
Some sources advise against ever wetting Monstera leaves because doing so will result in fungus. Technically speaking, this is untrue because plants frequently experience wetness in the wild with no ill effects. In actuality, water on leaves might propagate an already established fungus. Water droplets dripping down the leaves of your Monstera or a neighbouring plant can spread spores of a fungus.
Small brown or yellow patches can also be caused by common Monstera pests, such as thrips or spider mites, which siphon the juice from the leaves. In order to recuperate, your Monstera needs an insecticide treatment if it has pests.
Avoid overwatering
You should first take your Monstera Delicioa plant out of the pot and clean the unhealthy roots if you have any suspicions that it has been overwatered.
Then, because they are decaying, remove any black roots with a pair of scissors (healthy roots are slightly tan color).
After cleaning the plant pot with soap and water, add fresh soil. To help the soil dry up more quickly and cut down on the amount of times you need to water your plant, add a little amount of gravel or perlite to it.
To help drain the extra water in the pot, add drainage holes to the container holding your plant. On your Monstera Deliciosa, you should also remove any damaged leaves by pruning.
Should I trim the Monstera’s black leaves?
Your Monstera should have any damaged leaves removed. Trimming dead leaves helps your plant’s health in addition to improving its appearance.
- Unable to photosynthesize are dead leaves. Any brown or black areas on your Monstera’s leaves are no longer able to supply the plant with energy.
- Dead leaf sections have no protection against rot and infection in comparison to healthy leaves. Dead plant cells provide nutrients that are consumed by bacteria and fungi. For instance, you can notice mold growing on dead leaves that have been left on the plant or in the soil. To help defend the remainder of the plant against these diseases, remove any dark or damaged tissue.
It is possible that only the ripped edge of a leaf will become brown to seal a cut if there is only very minimal damage, such as accidently ripping or torn a portion of the leaf. Leave minor imperfections alone if they don’t affect other parts of the plant or interfere with your pleasure of the plant’s aesthetics.
Monstera damage to the roots and stems can be more serious than damage to the leaves because it prevents the plant from transporting water and nutrients. Visit our soon-to-be-available guides on stem damage and root rot.
Yellow monstera leaves can mean it’s either getting too much water, or not enough nutrients.
Yellow leaves can also signify a variety of things. You’re probably overwatering your monstera if the leaves are turning yellow. Make sure your plant receives lots of indirect sunshine so the top few inches of soil may dry out quickly before watering.
Considering that your monstera may also be lacking in nutrients, this is an excellent moment to start using a liquid fertilizer in your usual care. Because Monstera Plant Food is made to be used with every watering, you won’t need to keep track of a fertilization schedule, which is why we adore it!
Dark brown spots on monstera leaves is a good indication of the plant getting too much water.
If your monstera plant has dark brown stains on its leaves, it may be because of overwatering, which is rotting the roots. (Read 4 Signs Your Monstera Is Over-Watered for additional information.)
Trim off any roots that appear mushy or brown with clean, sharp pruning scissors after carefully removing the plant from the pot. Repot the plant into a clean container (either a new one or the old one that you’ve cleaned out) with fresh, dry soil after removing as much of the old, damp dirt from the root ball as you can.
Make sure your monstera receives enough of light, and reduce watering while the plant is healing. You can also remove the damaged leaves with pruning.
Make sure the soil feels dry before watering to prevent root rot, and think about obtaining a moisture meter like this one to check the moisture content of the root ball before watering.
Light brown spots and crispy edges on monstera leaves means the monstera needs more water.
Your monstera plant may be thirsty if the edges become a light brown color and become “crispy.” Give the earth a drink and think about watering a little more frequently if it feels dry. The dead edges can be removed because they won’t recover.
Additionally, avoid placing your monstera in direct sunlight as this might burn the leaves! Move your monstera a little further into the space or to a better location altogether if you observe the sunshine directly striking your leaves.
A drooping monstera can mean it needs more water or more light.
Another symptom that could imply a variety of things is drooping monstera leaves. Your monstera may be overwatered or underwatered in this situation.
Look at the earth to determine which it is! It’s likely that your plant needs water if the soil seems dry. Give your plant a chance to dry out if it feels moist before watering it once more. Make sure it receives plenty of indirect sunshine so it can successfully do this. Consider repotting into a pot with greater drainage and a faster-draining soil if you notice your soil remains wet for an extended period of time.
Your monstera might need additional light if the soil looks to be healthy and watering doesn’t seem to be the problem. (Read 4 Signs Your Monstera Needs More Light for more information.)
Read our instructions on watering your monstera here. Watering is typically the most challenging aspect of taking care of any plant.
Why does the leaf on my Monstera seem burned?
If Monstera Deliciosa is not cultivated under ideal circumstances, its leaves will become brown. On a Monstera Deliciosa, brown leaves may indicate overwatering or inadequate light. Overwatering can be fatal to your Monstera because it might result in other problems like root rot. Low humidity, underwatering, or illnesses are additional causes of brown leaves.
Why is my Monstera becoming yellow and black?
Do not be alarmed if you see black spots on your Monstera Deliciosa; they do not portend impending death. If given the right care, the hardy houseplant Monstera Deliciosa can recover from issues like black spots. Here are the seven causes of the black spots on your Monstera Deliciosa.
Black spots on monstera leaves due to insects
Mold on plants can be caused by insects. The insects frequently leave something behind that encourages deterioration. When mold grows on Monstera leaves, the leaves turn black. Any portion of a plant can develop mold, and under the appropriate circumstances, it can even flourish in the soil. Mold can also grow as a result of excessive leaf moisture. With pristine gardening shears, the contaminated leaves are cut off the plant. When a Monstera plant’s leaves start to turn black, clip the leaves and clean the scissors between cuts to stop mold growth.
Pests
Despite Monstera’s high pest resistance, an army of six-legged, leaf-eating insects occasionally overwhelms the plant. I’ll relate my experience because I’ve had spider mites and thrips in the past. These aphids leave behind tiny, unattractive black dots after feeding on your plant’s leaves.
The monsteras will quickly spread throughout the plant and attack any extra evergreens or monsteras you have, despite your initial impressions to the contrary.
Spider Mites
removing plant’s sap from the leaves With time, that sucking spot transforms from dark yellow to brown and then to black. Check to see if there are any mites underneath the leaf. You’ve undoubtedly located the pests you’re looking for if you notice any black spots moving on the underside.
Thrips
are small, leaf-sucking flies that deplete the water supply in your monstera. They also cause leaf yellowing and surface black spots, just like mites do.
You may easily remove the mites with a water jet. Just be careful not to hurt your plant. A warm shower will do if there aren’t enough spider warriors available. Neem oil is what I like to use to get rid of thrips.
It is a pure oil made from the neem tree’s seeds. Use a spray every few days, and in less than a week the bugs will be gone.
In order to stop the spread of mold, you should also trim the leaves of Monstera when they turn black.
Monstera leaves turnng black due to fungal disease
When it floods, fungus diseases frequently affect Monstera plants. The leaves of Monstera plants will become yellow, brown, or black due to fungus diseases like leaf spots. The leaves may also develop tiny black spots, which are signs that fungus spores have grown.
If you don’t treat the plant with a fungicide to get rid of the fungus, it will keep spreading. After you’ve gotten rid of the fungus, fertilize to improve the soil.
Monstera has black spots due to Dehydration
On the other extreme of the watering spectrum is dehydration. In contrast to overwatering, underwatering is a gradual killer. This process takes longer to develop than overwatering because of the monstera’s thick leaves. The dried plant doesn’t contain enough water to moisten each part.
Because of this, the furthest away leaves show the earliest signs of blackness and crispness. Lack of water puts plants under stress, causing palisade cells to die. Juvenile leaves get more water since they are nearer to the stem.
If your monstera has dark patches all over her body and is sad and droopy, buy her a drink! I suggest pouring water into the container’s bottom and allowing the soil soak it up. If this does not work, your soil may have become hydrophobic. It’s just another way of expressing “it hates water.”
This occasionally happens, particularly if you keep your plant in direct sunlight. Relocating the plant should be done as soon as possible, ideally in a larger container with brand-new soil.
Dry Soil
The soil can quickly get to the point of being completely dry when exposed to a strong indirect light source. Black stains on stems and leaves aren’t directly caused by dry soil, although it does encourage the growth of other illnesses. Poor soil may have a low capacity for water retention, which can lead to poor absorption, dehydration, and a number of nutritional problems.
Poor light regulation usually results in dry soil. Before planting (or replanting) your monstera, you must protect the soil from excessive direct or indirect sunlight. It dehydrates and turns hydrophobic.
Another reason for dry soil is poor drainage. If you select compact soil that is high in clay, water won’t be able to get through it, leaving the root zone dry.
Make sure your soil receives just enough water and is exposed to indirect light. If the soil is too dense, try adding some gravel and stones to the mixture. A gravel and pebble blend, according to study, can enhance soil drainage and help maintain the soil’s temperature and humidity levels.
Repot your monster in a container with top-notch, humus-rich soil if you think the current soil is beyond saving. Black stems and roots could also become an issue. I strongly suggest repotting your plant in this situation and moving to a soil type with good drainage properties.
Issues with TemperatureCold Temperatures and Sunburns
There are specific minimum, maximum, and ideal temperatures for every plant. These elements have a big impact on how a plant develops, especially while it’s young.
As a tropical plant, monstera prefers comfortable settings where it can bask in the warmth of the sun’s filtered rays. Large, unappealing black dots appear all over the plant, from its roots to its leaves, when these terms are violated.
Cold Stress
Low temperatures are sometimes disregarded as a problem when caring for your plant. The majority of people are terrified of sunburns and extremely hot temperatures, but cold weather can also be harmful. Monsters can’t really tolerate the cold because of their enormous size.
To warm up, a large plant requires a lot of energy. They can resist temperatures as low as 50 F. (10 C). Anything less WILL cause damage to your plant. The water and sap in the leaves freeze when it snows. This area goes dark because the plant is no longer able to feed it.
Low temperatures can also harm young buds or cuttings used for propagation, turning them black and damaged for the same reasons. Black patches appear on the leaves as a result of the plants’ stopping their growth in this type of environment. Many bacterial and fungal infections can develop at low temperatures as well.
Of course, relocate your plant to a warmer location. I frequently observe folks making the error of merely keeping the plant area warm during the day. If you keep plants in a conservatory (greenhouse) or windowed room, you might occasionally forget to keep the temperature there above 50 F (10 C) at night.
Just because it’s warm during the day doesn’t guarantee that it’ll be pleasant at night. The main goal is to maintain the monster’s bedroom at a comfortable temperature of 64 to 75 F (18 to 24 C)!
Sunburn is a symptom of heat stress
A more common temperature-related problem is sunburn. Although burning your plants is a beginner mistake, you’ll quickly learn how to avoid it. Placing your monstera in the sun, in front of a window, or even under a lamp exposes it to enormous amounts of energy as heat.
You might easily observe black, crispy, and roasted areas on your plant’s leaves and stems. Most of them have an oval or circular shape. Some people prefer to keep their Monsteras outside on a heated patio on sunny days, but this can seriously injure both the leaves and the roots.
Keep your monstera away from windows, particularly those with a southern exposure. It should ideally be put close to a window that faces east. This will provide it a lot of warmth and indirect sunlight throughout the day. Make sure your plant is in the shade and that the ground it will be planted on isn’t too hot if you’re planning to move it outside.
There are issues with humidity
Watering abnormalities typically originate from problems with humidity. Monstera can survive high humidity because it is native to tropical rainforests, but low humidity is never a good thing. Low humidity concentrations and needless misting are the two most common reasons for poor humidity.
Humidity is low
If your plant suddenly starts asking for more water, it might not be a fan of the relative humidity in the space. It is making an effort to consume extra water in an effort to slake the thirst brought on by the water vapor in the air.
Because your monstera prefers a tropical atmosphere to thrive in, maintaining the proper humidity level is essential. Low humidity will cause your plant to wilt and develop black smudges that resemble mold on some of its leaves.
If the soil quickly dries up after watering, raise the air’s humidity. If money is tight, you may always purchase a little plant humidifier. Place wet stones around the pot’s base as a first attempt at resolving the issue. In this way, the water will gradually evaporate into the soil and leaves. Monstera does well in settings where the relative humidity ranges from 50% to 60%.
Misting
For some reason, misting is becoming more and more popular among beginning gardeners. I’m not sure why they employ this technique to increase humidity levels, but I vehemently disagree with it. In the misting technique, water is sprayed onto the plant using a spray bottle.
The problem is that the liquid that emerges from the bottle is not mist. Sorry, but plants don’t like rain, and it is just rain. If you want fungus and insects on your plant, it can lead to water accumulating on the surface of the leaves, but it can also result in dark areas on the leaves.
Your monstera will mist if you spray it with water. It’s that easy! This is your only choice if you reside in a dry environment and lack the funds for a plant humidifier. In such a case, lightly mist—or perhaps I should say spray—the plant several times per day in smaller doses. Follow a misting schedule, which is often every three or four days.
Fertilization is insufficient
Proper fertilizer appears to be a mystery to novice gardeners. Your monstera may have degenerative growth and show black and yellow areas if there is insufficient nitrogen supply. Your plant will be malnourished and more susceptible to disease attacks.
In order to start, use granular fertilizer throughout early development. I favor those with a lot of nitrogen. When the plant promotes leaf development, try using liquid urea, an organic fertilizer with nitrogen as its main component. Apply liquid fertilizer with a nitrogen-to-phosphorus-to-potassium ratio of 20-20-20 during the mature phases.
The rot of the Roots and Stems
One of the causes of these illnesses is overwatering, and the other is fungus. Here’s a quick reminder of the topic of overwatering: too much water is bad. In essence, water clogs absorbent (root) hairs, starving the plant of nutrients and oxygen, as well as inhibiting osmosis.
The effect is that the roots are squishy and dark, and when touched, they scatter. Monstera stems are quickly covered in this gloom. Rhizoctonia solani is one of the fungi that has a comparable effect. They invade the plant’s body using mycelium, blocking xylem channels and depriving it of water and nutrients.
The main difference is that you can actually smell it, whereas overwatering rot exhibits many of the same signs.
Get rid of the undesirable habit of overwatering as soon as you can! Your monstera should not float in the water. Take the plant out of the pot, clean the roots, and use small gardening scissors to trim the unhealthy portions. Always keep all of your equipment tidy. The plant should be repotted in a new container with new soil. I constantly advise creating and adhering to a watering schedule!